Spanish PM's Wife Charged with Corruption

0:00It's April 14. You're listening to Sydney News today, AI-powered local news. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's wife, Begona Gomez, just got formally charged with corruption after a two-year probe. A judge hit her with, counts of embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business, and misappropriation of funds. This stems from her role co-directing a university chair at Madrid's Complutense University. The investigation kicked off in April 2024, looking into whether she used her position for private gain through public resources and connections. Judge Juan Carlos Panado ruled there are enough signs of wrongdoing, calling the chair a tool for her personal benefit. Gomez, who's 55 and currently on an official trip to China with Sanchez, denies everything. The Prime Minister slams it as a right-wing plot to tank his government while opposition parties demand he step down. The complaint came from an anti-corruption group with far-right links. This isn't isolated.

1:01Sanchez's brother David faces charges in a separate influence peddling case over a regional job and his ex-transport minister. Jose Luis Abelos is on trial now for kickbacks on public contracts. These scandals are squeezing his minority coalition hard. Courts will decide if Gomez faces trial, but the pressure on Sanchez keeps mounting as his family's troubles pile up. Stay tuned for how this shakes out in Spanish politics.